The West Hospital: Should it stay or should it go?

The editorial board of the Times Dispatch weighs in today with its thoughts on the future of the West Hospital:

The [preservationist] stance suggests mere aesthetics should hold back medical progress. Preservationists — and advocates of the city’s ostensibly “bottom-up” planning process who also have denounced VCU’s plans — doubtless will protest such a characterization. Nevertheless, at least some of them seem to care more about how VCU’s hospital looks to those walking by on the outside than how much it can help the people in need on the inside. It is a badly skewed set of values that places a higher priority on lifestyle than on life itself.

I’ll ignore for now the swipe at the master planning process (I’m struggling to remember what positions the editorial board has expressed regarding the planning process-anyone?) and focus on the comments on the West Hospital.

I am one of those who will protest their characterization of preservationists having badly skewed values.

My question is, when did we accept VCU’s proposition, without challenge, that they have only two options: keep using an outdated ineffective hospital building or tear it down.

Why not sell the building and use the proceeds to build a new hospital nearby?

I absolutely agree that MCV should build a new hospital building- I just don’t buy the dichotomy we’re being sold: tear it down or fail the patients.

There may, of course, be good reasons that MCV cannot acquire the vacant land near them- but that their spokespeople (and the TD) never mention it as an option while harshly criticizing their opponents suggests they are bent on pursuing their own agenda.

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15 Responses to “The West Hospital: Should it stay or should it go?”

They pretend to maintain relationships with the community, then if they come up against opposing viewpoints or protest, they will claim the ones objecting are ‘unreasonable’ and use their corporate connections (including Media General) to reiterate that ridiculous claim even as they go about their bulldozing.

The story of the Jacob House is that you actually have to stand in front of the bulldozers to make a dent in their public relations, which is not always possible.

To his great credit, Alan Schintzius, they guy who runs the Camel, did this in orer to block the demolition of the Jacob House. Despite further protests and WARNINGS about its Quaker abolitionist history, Trani insisted on moving it for his engineering schools plans. Sure enough, after VCU moved it, they found a hidden basement room that likely had to do with the Underground Railroad. Thats a true story that you will not be reading in VCU’s alumni magazine.

Listen, I know VCU does some great things for Richmond, but Trani’s ego and undue power are making a mess of this City.

Okay, let’s say they defer tearing down the West Hospital and build the new hospital at suggested alternative locations. What then? Who maintains it? Who pays for upkeep on it? Is it realistic to think a developer is going to put millions upon millions into renovating a property that sits on MCV’s campus … to what end? This is a great building and I hope it gets a second chance but in this place and time does Richmond really have the economy and ability to sustain something like this? Does it get mothballed for a few decades? Even mothballed money and manpower has to be put into it annually.

My other question is, if this building is so significant, how come steps weren’t taken by historical groups to get some sort of designation prior to its imminent demise?

I am not being facetious here … I am asking these questions sincerely.

Efforts were made to get the building listed, but they were stonewalled by VCU- at least that’s the way I understand the history.

I think it is realistic to think a developer would pay millions for a building on a college campus. The specifics of this building? I don’t know- I’m more concerned that VCU is presenting false options to try to force public opinion onto their side. If they’ve actually considered and rejected many options, they damn well better tell the public about it. But as it stands now, my understanding is they’re giving 2 choices: keep using it in current state or tear it down. If I can think of other options, I can guarantee you someone with expertise can as well. But why aren’t they talking about them?

I believe the building was up for historic registration over a decade ago… VCU worked out a special arrangement with the Dept. of Historic Resources blocking the building from ever gaining historic designation.

I’m all for preservation and good architecture. Richmond benefits from both. But I work in West Hospital full time. It is an unbelievable mess inside…antiquated, very poorly maintained, elevators that often don’t work, ceilings falling in, a HVAC system that would gag the best set of lungs, oh and did I mention the asbestos throughout the structure. No one is willing to spend the money to keep it acceptably functional as it is. Just what angel is going to pony up to restore or renovate this building? And even tho its name says “hospital”, almost all the floors are dedicated administrative and faculty office space …not patient rooms or treatment areas. Short of gutting the entire interior including mechanicals, and simply leaving the exterior shell, I can’t imagine any way to keep this building viable in Richmond’s future.

Steve asked what developer would spend millions renovating a building in the middle of MCV’s campus (BTW, are we still allowed to call it MCV?). Are you kidding me? To have a building in the middle of a mass of people like that? Imagine converting it into apartments for faculty, staff and students. Office space for medical types and medical vendors. Some commercial space and/or another dining option for the crunch of people who are down there. The options are limitless. If I ran a development company, I’d sure as hell make an offer on it. How many beautiful, historic, landmark buildings in the middle of a critical mass of people living and working in a ready-made market are there? You have people who must be down there all the time — it would almost be like having a monopoly.

Listen genious, Trani did not plan the School of Engineering/School of Business building. The building was paid for by private funds and all of the planning and stuff was undertaken by the School itself, all Trani did was smile and take pictures. The site was chosen because Engineering students needed to be able to get between both Schools easily, would you have rather them build it across Cary?

Also, it is called VCU Health Systems now. the story about that is Trani saw the school listed in USA Today as “MCV, part of the University of Virginia Health Systems” had a fit and renamed everything to carry the VCU moniker. There are still those over there who don’t wear the VCU flag proudly and would rather remain MCV.

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I just wanted to let you know that the “vacant” parking lots nearby are actually staff parking for VCU. If they aren’t owned by VCU then they are heavily used by the staff here.

I’m incredibly sad to see the old hospital go, but WHworker is right. I go into that old building regularly and the inside is incredibly dilapidated. There’s not as much space inside as it would appear and like WHworker said… short from gutting the building entirely, there’s not much you could do to save the building.

I’d love it if someone could save it or pony up the money to do all of the work, but let’s face it… last minute saves like that only happen in the movies. All I can hope is that they don’t completely trash everything- those gorgeous bronze fixtures over the doors NEED to be displayed in the new hospital. Especially the ones featuring key scientists.

But I’ll still hope for a last minute reprieve, even though today is considered to be the last official day for work to occur inside WH.

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